Illinois Libraries Present
Connect through a shared experience. Discover the exciting lineup of upcoming events for adults and children. With over 200 public libraries across Illinois, we bring you high-quality online events featuring national names and focus on social justice and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) issues.
SEASON FOUR UPCOMING EVENTS

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An Evening with James McBride
Tuesday, February 4, 7 pm
Illinois Libraries Present James McBride, an award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, was published in 1996 and is considered an American classic, read in schools and universities across the United States.

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Slowing Down with Amy Tan
Wednesday, February 19, 7 pm
National Humanities Medal winner Amy Tan joins us to share on her body of work and reflect on the wonder of slowing down and savoring the quiet moments. Her connection to nature is captured in her latest, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, a collection of sketches and essays which debuted at #1 on both the New York Times and the Indie bestseller list. Click here to register for the in-person watch party.

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Exploring Space with Coralie Adam
Tuesday, March 4, 7 pm
Get an inside look at the space industry with Illinois’ own Coralie Adam. Coralie leads the multi-mission Optical Navigation team at KinetX Aerospace, the first privately held company to provide deep space navigation and flight dynamics expertise to NASA. Click here to register for the in-person watch party.

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Experience 9to5: The Story of a Movement at Home!
Friday, March 21, 2 pm-Sunday, March 23, 11:59pm
Featuring interviews with 9to5’s founders, as well as actor and activist Jane Fonda, 9to5: The Story of a Movement is the previously untold story of the fight that inspired Dolly Parton’s “9to5” hit and changed the American workplace. Click here to register for the in-person watch party on Friday, March 21, 7 pm.

Registration opens March 15
The Art of Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson
Thursday, April 10, 7 pm
Alexis Nikole Nelson is a forager and an outdoor educator using her platforms, TikTok account @alexisnikole and Instagram page @blackforager, to celebrate all the edible plants hiding in plain sight.

Registration opens March 15
Art and Adventures with Author/Illustrator Dan Santat
Saturday, May 3, 2 pm
Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of over a hundred books for young people. Many of his books are New York Times-bestsellers, including The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Are We There Yet?, and After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again).

Registration opens March 15
Poverty: A Discussion with Matthew Desmond
Tuesday, May 13, 7 pm
Matthew Desmond is a professor of sociology at Princeton University and author of the award-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. His research focuses on poverty in the United States, city life, housing insecurity, public policy, racial inequality, and ethnography.